Legends Of The Frost
by Tsumori
Summary: What happens when you find out you're a Dragonborn but can't use a shout to save your life? Utter frustration!
1. Introduction

_"And the Scrolls have foretold, of black wings in the cold,_

_That when brothers wage war come unfurled!_

_Alduin, Bane of Kings, ancient shadow unbound, _

_With a hunger to swallow the world!_

_But a day, shall arise, when the dark dragon's lies,_

_Will be silenced forever and then!_

_Fair Skyrim will be free from foul Alduin's maw,_

_Dragonborn be the savior of men!"_

Ellie grabbed the last of her stuff and shoved it into her bag. Her younger sister came in and sat on her bed holding a clock in her hands. She held it out to Ellie.

"Mom thought you might need this to keep you warm"

Ellie took it from her before realizing that it weighed an easy ten pounds. Her bag was going to be heavy enough without this. Flipping it over she noticed that her mother had lined it with fur. She put it on and grabbed her bag before heading out.

The house felt so small and empty as she reached the front door. Opening it she stood in the doorway and watched a few of the townspeople walk past the porch. She listened to the birds as she walked towards the bridge and her waiting parents..

Her father handed her some weapons while her mother put some salted meats and a letter in her bag.

"Be careful. We don't know what's waiting for you on the mountainside. Also, give that letter to the Greybeards when you get there"

Ellie nodded and gave them a hug before heading across the bridge. What she didn't know was that this day would change her life forever.

The trip up the mountain wasn't so hard. In fact most of it was trudging through snow and except for a frost troll she didn't run into any enemies. She reached the top without incident and immediately went inside the fortress. She didn't really like the cold and the sooner she could get out of it the better, in her opinion anyway.

The heat hit her like a wall. It was nice but a rather large adjustment after being out in the cold for so long. She walked into the main hall and looked around. The place was an old fortress that looked like it would have been perfect in times of war but not for living in.

"What can we do for you?"

Ellie turned around to find an old man in a robe walking towards her. She fished the letter out of her bag and handed it to him.

"I assume this is for you. My mother sent it along"

He took the letter and read it before motioning for her to follow her.

"Well, it appears we have the pleasure of welcoming a new Dragonborn. And what does this Dragonborn call herself?"

"My name is Eliana or just Ellie. Either is fine."

He nodded.

"My name is Amgeir. If there is anything you would like to ask I would suggest asking it now while you have the chance"

Ellie thought about it for a minute.

"Actually, I do have a few questions. How many Greybeards are there and why do you live up here?"

"There are four of us here. Paarthurnax is our Grand Master and lives further up the mountain. You will meet him when you're ready. As for why we live here, most of us are still learning the Voice and talking is very dangerous. We can kill with a single word without training and meditation. Come, if there are no more questions then it's time to start your training"

Ellie started to wonder just what it was that she had gotten into. Hopefully nothing too dangerous.


	2. Chapter 1

Ellie looked up from her book on Dragon lore and history before pinching the bridge of her nose. She was getting tired of doing nothing but reading when she should be working on shouts. The smell of cooking made her stomach growl and she closed the book before setting it on the table. Lunch was now cooking and she was hungry.

Amgeir met her out in the hall while she walked. He seemed to be agitated with something but Ellie didn't really care to ask until there was stew sitting in front of her. She quietly started eating while Amgeir stood at the window.

"When you're finished grab your cloak. We're headed up the mountain."

That meant they were going to see Paarturnax and she had a feeling why. She finished up her meal before grabbing her cloak and meeting Amgeir in the courtyard. For some reason she felt like she was in trouble.

Heading up the mountain made her feel exhausted. Amgeir kept having to clear snow storms so they could get through and it did a number on their stamina. Not only was there snow storms but the snow was deeper on this part of the mountain and it reached Ellie's knees. She was going to have to sit in front of the fire for a while when they got back so she could defrost.

When they reached the top the wind and snow finally stopped. The snow wasn't as deep either and Ellie looked around to find they were alone.

"Amgeir, why are we….?"

The ground shook behind them as a large dragon landed. Ellie jumped slightly and turned around to look at it to find that it's nose was inches from her face. It breathed in her scent before looking at Amgeir in question before looking back at Ellie.

"Him lost dovahsos mal gein. You have dragonblood little one. What can I do to aid you?"

Amgeir sighed, causing Paarthurnax to look at him.

"We need a question answered. Is there a reason why she cannot learn Shouts even though she has dragonblood?"

Paarthurnax thought about it. There was nothing stopping her from learning it. He eyed Ellie who was now trying to bury herself in her cloak to keep warm.

"I think dez, fate, has other plans for you. It may be that you have another role to play instead of fighting."

That made sense to Ellie. She really didn't want to fight dragons. In fact she wanted to learn about them and hopefully understand them enough to stop another war. She didn't want to see people die needlessly.

"I will do what I can to aid your studies, mal gein. Let's hope that you aren't forced to fight my brother."

Ellie glared and tried to pull long strands of her brown hair out of her face as the wind picked up again.

"You mean Alduin is your brother?"

"My troublesome older brother, yes. Maybe you should head inside where it's warmer."

Ellie had to agree with that. She was really cold but she enjoyed the warm breath that Paarthurnax blew into her face.

Amgeir lead her back down the mountain and she sat by the fire in her room. It seemed to take forever for her to get the cold out of her bones and dress. She stayed there until it was time for dinner using most of her time to study.

At dinner no one really said anything. Usually Amgeir drilled her about her studies but even he didn't seem to have the energy. He probably wouldn't be too happy if she told him she wanted to study herbalism and potions on top of her current studies. She decided to leave it for another time.

She spent the rest of the night studying before heading to bed early.

Breakfast the next morning was quiet and that's when she finally told Amgeir about her plans. He seemed indifferent about it so after her morning chores she headed out to talk to Paarthurnax again. She made sure though that the other's didn't know where she was going. They didn't know about her abilities when it came to magic and for now she preferred it to stay that way.

She reached the top and watched as Paarthurnax landed a few feet in front of her. He didn't say anything as she told him of her plans but he still stayed with his decision to help her if she needed it. The sound of his growling/breathing was slightly comforting.

"Just curious but does Alduin enjoy anything besides hunting souls and killing humans?"

Paarthurnax tilted his head

"What are you going to do?"

"Nothing yet; I was just curious."

He gave her a bit of a glare before perching himself on a large rock. She looked up at him as he brought his nose down to her; she was starting to feel incredibly small. Paarturnax's head shot up when they heard the Greybeards call for a new Dragonborn.

Ellie headed down the mountain almost immediately to find out what was going on. Amgeir filled her in during lunch and she went back to studying, making sure to keep an eye on things so she didn't miss out on seeing the other Dragonborn.


	3. Chapter 2

"Welcome Dragonborn"

Ellie stood at the top of the stares and watched Amgeir talk to the new guy. This one was a Nord and he looked like he didn't want to be here. She looked him up and down and then noticed that he had noticed her watching him. He tilted his head at her and then went back to paying attention to Amgeir as he did their test.

Afterwards Ellie met the group outside in the courtyard. She really didn't want to be outside but her curiosity when it came to this Dragonborn was too great. She watched as they taught him words of power and he learned them so easily. She found it all slightly depressing. She headed up to go see Paarthurnax when she couldn't handle watching him anymore. He noticed that she looked upset.

When she approached he put his nose down to her in an attempt to comfort her.

"What is wrong mal gein?"

Ellie rested her hand on his nose but couldn't bring herself to look at him.

"The new Dragonborn was here today. I watched him learn those words so easily."

Ellie didn't have to finish her thought for Paarthurnax to know what was going on. He just stayed quiet and sat there with her.

After a while she went back and continued to study until dinner; which was admittedly late due to the new Dragonborn still being there. Amgeir looked at her during dinner.

"I saw you head for the top of the mountain. How did you make it up there without using Shouts?"

"There are other things in this world besides shouts when it comes to clearing weather"

It was evident that Amgeir understood as he handed a letter to her.

"This came for you."

Ellie took it and then looked down at it. She already knew it came from her family but she wasn't so sure if she wanted to read it. She took it to her room and buried herself in her books before going to bed. It had been a long enough day.

It was a few weeks before the new Dragonborn came back with a horn in his possession. Ellie didn't have to ask, she already had a feeling that Amgeir sent him to go get it. She sighed and offered him a meal before he continued working with the Greybeards. He looked her up and down.

"You got rid of the dress"

She looked down at her legs.

"I started wearing leggings because it's simply too cold. You may want to hurry and eat, I think the Greybeards want to see you in the courtyard"

He nodded and headed out while Ellie started to clean. Once all the dishes were cleaned she grabbed a textbook and headed for a quiet spot where she could watch what was going on from the other side of the book cover.

Later that day she went to go see Paarthurnax only to notice that he already had company. Another dragon was with him and they were arguing. It wouldn't be so bad but it was all in dragon and she couldn't understand a thing. Paarthurnax noticed her and immediately stopped causing the other dragon to look her way.

Ellie walked around the black dragon so she could stand beside Paarthurnax's head. The other dragon watched as Paarthurnax put his head down so Ellie could stroke his jaw. The other dragon put his nose an inch from her before roaring. When he finally stopped Ellie glared before nailing him in the nose.

"I don't appreciate being roared at and I also don't want to see down the back of your throat."

The dragon shook it's head before taking off. She turned to Paarthrunax before cradling her now sore hand.

"Let me guess, that was Alduin"

Paarthurnax nodded.

"And it appears you hit him pretty hard to hurt your hand like that"

Ellie looked down at her knuckles.

"I'll live. I must say though, someone needs to teach him some manners. What nerve"

Paarthurnax laughed.

"Yes well he's rather stubborn. There are days I find it hard to believe that we're related"

Ellie put her cloak under her so she could sit in the snow. Her hand was starting to throb so she made a small hill of snow to put her hand in.; she looked up at Paarthurnax.

"You're so well-mannered compared to him. What gives?"

"It comes with age. Even though Alduin was born first I now have 1000 years on him"

Ellie was confused and then she remembered about the war. Paarthurnax put his nose down to her.

"Don't leave your hand in there too long, you'll get frostbite"

She looked up at him with a bit of a smile.

"It's nice to know you worry about me"

Paarthurnax took a step back. Why did he care so much about her getting frostbite? Was it because so many wanted her to kill but she refused to stand for it? Or maybe it was because he enjoyed her company and looked forward to the times that she would visit. Maybe he was going soft. He put his nose to her again. He couldn't understand the feelings he had for this human but one thing was for sure, he would be damned if Alduin would kill her.

Ellie eventually gave in and headed back. It looked like she broke a few knuckles as they were now swollen and bruised. She didn't care though; it was well worth it to put Alduin in his place. How much the dragon learned from it though she didn't know.


	4. Chapter 3

Ellie found that she was spending much more time with Paarthurnax during the night; preferring to watch the aurora with him when it wasn't snowing. Paarthurnax was finding that he was enjoying her company far more than what he should. He put his nose to her back.

"When you go back I think I should go with you"

Ellie was rather confused.

"You're a ten ton dragon, how are you planning on doing that?"

He chuckled.

"I may be old but I'm not crippled. I have my ways"

That had her worried. Just what was it that this dragon was planning to do? Whatever it was must have something to do with magic. She shivered.

"I guess this means I'll meet you down there?"

Paarthurnax nodded.

"Go inside and warm up"

Ellie didn't need to be told twice as she headed down the mountain and went inside. She took her cloak off and headed to her room. She was in there long enough to make it through a few chapters when there was a knock on the door. A head with greying hair peeked in.

"Paarthurnax?"

He nodded and opened the door.

"Can I come in?"

Ellie closed her book and sat it on her table.

"Of course."

He came in and took a seat on her bed before looking at the fire.

"How did you do that anyway?"

He smiled.

"There's a spell to turn humans into animals. I just reversed it"

Ellie thought about it for a few minutes. Paarthurnax put a hand on her head with a chuckle.

"Don't worry about it. If it helps Alduin can do it too"

"That doesn't make me feel any better. In fact that worries me more"

Paarthurnax sat there and blinked at her.

"Why does that worry you?"

"Oh I don't know, maybe because it could be that it's easier for him to kill people without being spotted if he was a human"

Paarthurnax thought about that. It made sense. Honestly for someone who didn't like fighting she sure knew what she was doing when it came to stuff like that. There was something he wanted to give her but as it was she wasn't prepared for the responsibility that came with such a gift.

"Paarthurnax, why are you here?"

He tiled his head.

"I have this feeling that something is going to happen soon. While I think about it have you started to study herbology and antidotes yet?"

She pointed to one of her bookshelves that was loaded with all kinds of vials. One in particular caught his attention. It was white and the glass looked like it was cracked.

"This is an advanced level potion, how did you?"

She shrugged.

"It would seem that I'm good at making potions. Oddly though, I didn't intend on making that potion. I was experimenting with ingredients and decided to use snow as one of them and I got that"

"What were you trying to make?"

"I was trying for an antidote"

He didn't say anything as he put it back onto the shelf. He continued looking through what she had. There was an assortment of health and magika potions as well as antidotes and they all varied in size. In the short time she had been studying she had become quite the healer. He was right in saying that she wasn't meant to fight.

He spent the next few days pacing the floors. Unlike everyone else he didn't require sleep so he ended up as a personal guard dragon for High Hrothgar. He found it entertaining to watch Ellie cook and even helped in the kitchen when she needed it. On the rare occasion she needed help in her studies he was there to help. In fact he got the most enjoyment from helping her with her studies on Dragons and his language. He found it rather admirable that she even wanted to study that.

After a week and a half the new Dragonborn came back and this time he had a challenge. Of course it was for Alduin. Ellie shook her head and headed outside to watch. She pulled him to the side as soon as he was out there.

"I'm going to agree to this but on one condition, neither of you are to cheat. Got it?"

He nodded and didn't say anything as they all headed up the mountain. Paarthurnax walked beside Ellie in silence for a while.

"Something about this doesn't seem right"

Paarthurnax watched her as they walked.

"So you got that too. I'm curious as to why he wants to challenge my brother. He's either stupid or crazy that one. For now he is not to know about me."

Ellie nodded and continued to walk. When they reached the top of the mountain Ellie found her usual spot to sit and watched as he called for Alduin. After a few minutes the black dragon's roars could be heard in the distance.

Alduin landed and looked at Ellie and Paarthurnax before looking at his challenger. He then turned to Paarthurnax.

"Did you put these thoughts in his head?"

Paarthurnax shook his head and Alduin went back to watching his opponent. They looked at each other for a minute before Alduin snapped at him. Ellie groaned.

"I question why I try to be nice to your brother."

Paarthrunax put a hand on Ellie's shoulder.

"You do it because despite everything he has done no harm to you and so you treat him fairly"

Paarthurnax was right. Although Alduin was supposed to be this big bad dragon he never did anything more than roar at her. In fact it seemed as if he was lonely, even if he didn't want to admit it. She looked at her hands.

"Paarthurnax I need to ask you something. Are all younger dragons like Alduin?"

"Not usually but dragons at his age usually have a mate. I think the fact that he doesn't have a female makes him irritable."

"Animal instincts I guess but doesn't he realize that he won't get a female with that attitude?"

Paarthurnax laughed, causing Alduin to look in their direction.

"What is so funny over there?"

"Nothing really, we're just talking about you. Keep going"

He roared at the both of them before continuing on. After a while Alduin's movements were starting to become sluggish which wasn't normal for a dragon of his power. Ellie got up and stopped the fight in time to see him collapse, his breath coming in short gasps.

Ellie's hands when to Alduin's shoulder joints. The wounds were swollen and there was a lot of heat coming from them. This wasn't right. Normal wounds shouldn't be like this. When she pulled her hand back it was covered in blood and she sniffed it. Her hand had an odd smell to it.

"Paarthurnax, check his sword"

He grabbed the Dragonborn by the wrist, causing him to drop his blade. Paarthurnax picked it up from the snow and ran it under his nose.

"This blade is covered in poison"

"That's what I thought"

Ellie started fishing around in the bag she brought and grabbed the white vial before waving it in front of Alduin's nose.

"If you want to survive then you need to drink this. You cannot drink it in that form though"

Alduin glared at her.

"I'll die first"

Ellie glared and then took her bag off and put it in the snow so nothing would break. She immediately turned to Alduin and nail him in the nose, causing him to back up and shake his head in pain.

"You are the most arrogant, stubborn, jack ass of a dragon I have EVER met! You need help and you won't accept it because I'm not a dragon! Fine! If you don't want my help then I won't help you!"

By this time her hands were in fists and she was ready to storm down the mountain again. She left her bag where it was and started on the path only for Paarthurnax to call after her.

"Ellie, wait!"

Ellie stopped but didn't turn around and Paarthurnax turned to Alduin.

"It would be in your best interest to stop turning away those who are willing to help you regardless of whether or not they're a dragon. The only reason she's offering to help you is because you didn't do anything to warrant her not helping and because he cheated"

Alduin gave a few huffs before finally giving in. When Ellie came back he was slung over Paarthurnax's shoulder. She reached down and grabbed the vial before grabbing his chin, tilting his head back and pouring the entire thing down his throat. He gulped it down and Ellie grabbed her bag.

"Let's get him inside where I can work on him. I need to evaluate how bad he is"

Paarthurnax nodded and followed Ellie back to High Hrothgar. It wasn't surprising that the other Dragonborn had pulled a disappearing act.

When they got back Ellie had Paarthurnax put Alduin in her room where he wouldn't be disturbed. They got him into bed and Ellie looked him over. It didn't look good at all. Ellie went and got a blank scroll and started writing.

"If you really want to save him then I need these ingredients"

He looked it over when she handed it to him and then she handed him a leather bag.

"What are these for?"

"Never mind that, the more time you stand here the less time he has, now get going!"

He nodded and left and Ellie went and got a bucket full of snow and some cloths. She let the snow melt by the fire and used the cold water to give Alduin's face and neck a wash. The wounds were more on the face, neck and shoulders so she concentrated her efforts there.

He looked at her but his eyes were glazed from the fever. His breath was still coming in short gasps as she put a towel on his head. At this rate he wouldn't last the night.

Paarthurnax came back a few hours later with all the ingredients and Ellie got to work making a poultice for the wounds. She was hoping that applying an antidote directly to the wounds would help draw out the poison faster. She applied it and bandaged him as Paarthurnax watched.

"What is that supposed to do?"

"It will help to draw out the poison. If he survives the night then there's a good chance he will survive"

Paarthurnax didn't say anything but left the room as Ellie continued to work. She only left Alduin when it was time to eat and she was thankful. The odd thing was, Paarthurnax was nowhere to be found.

After she ate she checked on Alduin, who was starting to toss, before heading outside where it was cooler. Paarthurnax was standing in the middle of the courtyard with his eyes to the sky and his back to the door.

"You didn't seem too happy back there"

Paarthurnax turned towards her.

"Alduin has always been there. To think he could be killed by something as trivial as poison is not a thought that ever entered my mind."

Ellie didn't know what to say. Paarthurnax was over fifty times her age. She wasn't even sure how to comfort him so she did the only thing she could think of. She wrapped her arms around his neck. She felt him go stiff before finally giving in and wrapping an arm around her neck.

"I'm sorry you had to see this"

Ellie released him.

"It's alright. He is your brother after all"

"How is he?"

"He's tossing. The fever still has him right now. You should go see him"

He nodded and headed inside. Ellie walked around for a bit before heading inside herself. With Alduin wounded and occupying her bed she wasn't going to get much in the way of sleep.

Paarthurnax was sitting in her chair facing the fire when she went into her room. Alduin had stopped moving for now and his eyes were partially opened when she opened the door. He gave her a look and didn't say anything as she walked over and took the cloths from his forehead and made it damp again.

Alduin's gaze drifted from her to Paarthurnax and back again. He tried to bury himself in the blanket but didn't get very far. It was almost as if he was embarrassed. She gently pulled back the blanket so she could check his wounds.

"You heal well"

Paarthurnax turned to face them as she stood. It was almost dawn and almost time to start breakfast then chores. She left them to get to work and do some of her chores early. When she came back Alduin was sitting up and he looked at her when she came in. It was hard to tell what that dragon was thinking as he watched her when she checked him for a fever.

"Well, it looks like the fever is gone. Now you can concentrate on healing those wounds."

He continued to watch her as she went and picked up a book and sat on the side of her bed. She wasn't there long before the book fell to the ground and she fell sideways. Alduin yelped and moved over and Paarthurnax checked on Ellie.

"She'll be fine. She's just exhausted and you, it's your stubborn pride that got you in this mess"

Both dragons looked at each other for a long time.

"As soon as I'm healed I'm out of here"

Over the next week Alduin didn't leave her room and Paarthurnax back to pacing the halls as Ellie continued her studies. Alduin stayed true to his word and as soon as he was able to fly he was gone. Paarthurnax also went back to the top of the mountain and life was almost back to normal.


	5. Chapter 4

Word of Ellie's abilities spread mainly from the people who walked the steps that had gotten themselves injured. Most of them came unarmed and there were wolves on the mountainside that would attack anyone.

Word even reached Ulfric Stormcloak in Windhelm but it wasn't from the travelers. In front of him stood the other Dragonborn; this man was willing to give his life for the cause and while he had need of Ellie's skills on the battlefield he had no idea how to persuade her. He would have to think about that on his way to visit the Greybeards.

By the time he reached the top of the mountain he still didn't know what to use to persuade her. He stood at the top and squared his shoulders. It had been years since he had been here as a student.

Ellie was on her way to visit Paarthurnax when he came in. She looked over her shoulder at him before heading out the door.

Ellie was gone for over an hour and when she came back he was still there except that he was currently talking to Amgeir as she walked past the two, headed for her room so she could thaw out and get rid of the book in her hands.

"Ellie, you're wanted"

Ellie turned to face the pair.

"And just what does the Jarl of Windhelm want with me?"

Ulfric nodded in her direction.

"It's nice that you already know of me"

"I've heard of you yes, and none of it was good. Whether or not I believe them is a different story"

He didn't know what to reply to that as Ellie opened her bedroom door and put her book on her table before coming out again. Amgeir left them to continue on with his meditation.

"I can't see you coming all the way from Windhelm just for a visit. What can I do for you?"

"I would like you to use your skills on the battlefield"

Ellie glared. In her heart she knew this would eventually happen but until now she didn't have to admit it.

"Not a chance. I will have no part of your war"

Ellie knew this wasn't the answer he wanted but what she said was the truth. She would have no part in a war where all the men she healed would go kill more innocents or get themselves hurt again.

She didn't wait for him to say anything as she went back to her room to draw off and thaw out. She really needed to stop wearing dresses. At least with leggings and boots the only thing that would get wet are the boots and those weren't hard to dry out.

That night she skipped dinner so that she wouldn't have to deal with him if he was still here. She didn't want to get into an argument over nothing when she had already made up her mind.

The next morning she was hesitant on starting her chores because she didn't know if he was still there. Paarthurnax came to visit her to coax her out of her room and he eventually succeeded after telling her that Ulfric had left that morning and he wasn't exactly happy.

Ellie leaned up against a wall and crossed her arms over her chest.

"The only thing stopping Ulfric from getting what he wants is that we're part of Whiterun and not Windhelm. If he had his way he would have an official conscription letter and I'd be screwed"

Paarthurnax put a hand on her shoulder.

"But he didn't and you don't have to go, which means you have more time to study and visit with me"

Ellie snickered.

"For now and I'm starting to think you like my company way too much"

"I haven't had any company in a thousand years. What did you expect?"

Ellie didn't say anything as she continued on with her work. She liked when Paarthurnax visited her even though it wasn't very often. It was a nice change compared to having the Greybeards around as none of them except Amgeir ever talked to her and even that was rare unless he needed something. At least Paarthurnax would comment on her studies and help her with cooking.

That night while she was preparing for dinner; Paarthurnax watched as she chopped vegetables. He seemed more curious about what she was doing than what he should be.

"You look like you want to ask something"

She put the vegetables in a bowl and moved on to the meat.

"Why did you refuse him? He would have paid you well no matter the work you did"

Ellie put the knife she had in her hand on the table with a sigh.

"It's not about the pay. For every man or woman that I heal they would kill innocent people and end up coming back to me wounded. Besides, I'm an elf remember? The Stormcloaks don't like anyone in their ranks who isn't a Nord. At least here I can keep you in line."

Paarthurnax laughed.

"As much as I like the thought it's Alduin who needs that, not me."

"I know. The downside is your brother could tear me in two if he really wanted."

"I really don't think he would. When you helped heal him he regarded you with curiosity and he tends not to kill those he's curious about."

Ellie looked at him for a minute before continuing on with her work. There were things she wanted to say but not only were they inappropriate but they would ruin the moment. Paarthurnax stretched, causing his bones to crack.

"Paarthurnax, how old are you?"

"Hmm?"

"How old are you really?"

Paarthurnax thought about that.

"If you're looking for an exact number then I don't have that but what I can tell you is that I've lived more than a hundred of your life times."

She wasn't sure if she was surprised or not. She knew dragons lived long lives but how old the average dragon was, she wasn't sure.

"If it helps dragons don't die of old age. That's why most of us stop counting after a while"

Ellie finished up her work so that the others could eat and took a plate for herself before going to find a quiet spot to sit. If she could choose between the company of Paarthurnax or the Greybeards she would choose Paarthurnax with no problem. At least he talked to her. When she was finished eating Paarthurnax grabbed her hands and looked at her.

"You know you're almost ready to leave here. I'm going to miss you when you go."

"Well, think of it this way, as long as I continue to have problems learning your language I'm staying. Why does your language have to be so hard to learn anyway?"

"It may be that it's because it's the language that Akatosh, my father, uses and all dragons are born already knowing the language."

"OK, the first part is a viable reason, the second, is not. Regardless your language is frustrating and I wish you would help me. The Greybeards are useless as they only know Shouts. I need someone like you who can speak it fluently"

He thought about that for a minute.

"Alright and in return I get to keep your company."

"At least for a while longer anyway"

He smiled and leaned over and kissed her cheek. He was close enough that she could smell his scent and to her he smelt like fresh snow and wind; an odd combination. She pulled back and cleared her throat.

"It's getting late; I should really get to bed."

She was blushing a shade of cherry red as she got up.

"I should probably head back myself."

He was rather confused as to why he had done that. He was beginning to understand why dragons didn't do this more often; it wreaked havoc on their heads when the human emotions started to kick in and he wasn't sure how he really felt as he headed back to the mountain top.


	6. Chapter 5

Over the next few weeks Paarthurnax made it a habit to visit her when she didn't visit him and unless there were other people there he started talking to her in dragon. Ellie actually found this helpful so she didn't forget what she had already learned.

"So what are today's plans?"

Ellie thought for a minute.

"Well, I've been planning on going back to Iverstead to visit my family. I'll probably do that today."

Paarthurnax nodded and let her head back. She was barely inside five minutes when Amgeir came to find her with a letter in his hand.

"You may want to sit for what I'm about to tell you"

Ellie was confused but found a chair to sit on.

"Iverstead was attacked last night by a dragon and both your parents are dead and the house gone. Your sister is still alive because she was in Whiterun at the time this happened. She's supposed to be on her way home today."

All Ellie could do was sit there and stare.

"Word has also reached us that Alduin is the one reviving the dragons"

Ellie didn't know how to feel. After her healing him he goes and does this? He may not have done it himself but he brought the other dragon back to life so he was indirectly involved. She wasn't sure about confronting him about that as he could probably eat her and would do it without a second thought.

She gave in and went to see Paarthurnax. By the time she reached him she wasn't sure if she was feeling numb from the cold or the fact that she had just lost both parents. He looked at her and immediately knew something was wrong.

Paarthurnax sat and listened as she told him everything that happened. Afterwards he put his nose to her and let her bury her face in his scales. He let her stay there until she was ready and moved back on her own.

"Don't blame Alduin until you talk to him. He may have revived the other dragon but he wouldn't have told them to attack anyone. Besides, every dragon is responsible for their own actions"

Ellie plunked herself in the snow as Paarthurnax wrapped himself around her. After a while she got up because her butt was frozen.

"I'm going back inside. I'm starting to freeze"

"Did you want me to go with you?"

"It doesn't matter"

Paarthurnax didn't want to leave her in that state. She was quiet which meant she could snap at any given moment and he didn't want her doing something stupid. At least if she tried it on him he could ward her off and survive it.

When they reached the bottom Paarthurnax stopped Ellie by hugging her from behind.

"Ellie, I'm so sorry"

Ellie didn't say anything but she leaned up against him and felt his heartbeat. After a few minutes she pulled away from him to go inside.

"Ellie, please don't do anything stupid"

Ellie stopped with her hand on the door.

"Going after that dragon won't bring my parents back so why bother wasting my energy?"

Paarthurnax wasn't sure if he liked that answer but at least if she confined herself to High Hrothgar he could keep an eye on her. For now he let it go. Dragons, like humans, went through a grieving process and, admittedly, it took longer for a dragon to get over things. He wasn't sure how a human went through it though, or if it was even the same. All he could do for her right now is stay close to her in case she needed someone to talk to.


	7. Chapter 6

About a week passed before the other Dragonborn came back and this time he was here to talk to Amgeir about a council meeting in the hopes of finally getting the war to stop. He informed him that they didn't usually do this but as it was to hopefully stop Alduin he would make an exception and help out as long as it didn't disturb the other Greybeards.

And so the Dragonborn left again to go get General Tullius and Ulfric Stormcloak. She didn't know if he had chosen a side nor did she care to ask. When she said she wanted nothing to do with the war she meant it. It didn't help that one by one people were starting to arrive for this meeting. Even Paarthurnax came to keep her company.

When everyone was there there were the Imperials, the Stormcloaks and Elenwen for the Thalmor, not including Ellie, Paarthurnax or Amgeir. Of course the other Dragonborn sent Elenwen away as there was really no need for her to be there so Ellie took her seat beside Amgeir and Paarthurnax stood, partialy leaning on the back of the chair.

Both sides used this meeting to express their views about each other, causing an all out argument before Amgeir and both Dragonborns put a stop to it. This meeting wasn't for them to bicker; they needed to decide what to do about Alduin and the other Dragonborn made that abundantly clear. By the time the meeting was over even Paarthurnax, who never yelled at anyone, was having trouble not losing his cool. Today was the day he learned that humans and Alduin weren't so different; both could be stubborn and frustrating when they wanted to be.

At the end of the meeting Delphine, current leader of The Blades, went to talk to the other Dragonborn. Both Ellie and Paarthurnax over heard her telling him that he was to kill Paarthurnax and Paarthurnax snarled at her before walking out of the room. Ellie just shook her head as Ulfric walked up to her, a scroll in his hands, which he handed to her. She broke the seal and read it.

"This is no good here. We're in Whiterun not Windhelm"

"We took Whiterun over two days ago which means those conscription papers are now good"

Paarthurnax had his back turned to them until he heard that. Ellie didn't even know what to reply to that as she tossed the paper into the fire and watched it be consumed by the flames.

"This war is yours not mine and I will have no part of it. You have many mages fighting for you; use them to heal your soldiers. Last time I checked you didn't like anyone that isn't a Nord and if I recall correctly I'm an elf"

Paarthurnax had a slight smile on his lips as Ulfric started off with the rest of the Stormcloaks, it was then that the other Dragonborn approached them. He looked at Paarthurnax before turning to Ellie.

"I know the both of you heard what Delphine wants."

Ellie nodded and Paarthurnax just looked away.

"I have no intention of doing it. What you did Paarthurnax in the past is just that, in the past. I'm not going to kill you just because she wants me to. Besides, the two of you seem to be rather close"

This caused Ellie and Paarthurnax to look at each other. The statement was true but how close they were even they didn't know. Paarthurnax knew what he wanted but he wasn't going to admit it when there was this many people around. Besides, he didn't want anyone to know who he really was besides both Dragonborns and the Greybeards.

When they were sure that everyone else was gone Paarthurnax turned to him.

"If you want to have a hope of defeating my brother you will need to start by finding an Elder Scroll. Once you get it see me at the top of the mountain."

Paarthurnax waited until he too had left before turning to Ellie.

"Did the Greybeards tell you anything about the statue in the main hall?"

"No why?"

"Come with me, I have something for you"

Ellie followed him until they were standing in front of it. He leaned down and moved a large stone slab to reveal a whole in the statue. He pulled out a long wooden box and opened it.

"These are for you"

Ellie peered into the box and let her jaw drop.

"Why did you send him to go get an Elder Scroll when there's one here?"

He looked up at her.

"If he really want's Alduin dead then he's going to have to work for it"

He removed the Scroll from the box and set it on the floor beside the box. Under it was a roll of cloth and he nodded at it.

"Go ahead"

Ellie grabbed only to notice that there was something in it. She unraveled it to reveal a sword and she gave Paarthurnax a confused look.

"That sword was mine once and now it belongs to you"

"But Paarthurnax, I can't wield a sword to save my life!"

"You don't need to wield it to keep it. Besides, it will be there if you ever need it. With this war going on it would be a good idea to have something to protect yourself with."

She couldn't argue with that. Her bow was great for long range but did nothing when the enemy decided to get in your face. Maybe it was time that she learned at least some basic sword skills considering Ulfric wouldn't stop badgering her about joining his cause no matter how many times she told him no. She put the sword back in the box and Paarthurnax put the Scroll back in its place before putting the box back and covering the hole. They stood and he put a hand on her shoulder.

"You know where they are now. Only use them when you feel you need to and beware, reading a Scroll with no training can make you blind or cause you to go insane. Neither of them are a nice fate. Now I'm going back to the top of the mountain unless you need me."

"It's alright, thank you"

Paarthurnax nodded and left her. He must have really trusted her to share this with her when no one else knew about the Scroll and sword. She felt really honored. She meant to ask what the scratches on the blade meant but it completely slipped her mind. She would have to ask him the next time she saw him.


	8. Chapter 7

"So I hear that the other Dragonborn had a run in with the Vampires and their King."

Ellie looked at Paarthurnax.

"They were after an Elder Scroll to get rid of the sun so they can feed during the day. Turns out our Dragonborn got the Scroll from the Kings daughter for defeating him"

Her jaw dropped slightly.

"I'd like to know how he managed that"

Paarthurnax didn't reply. This was the perfect time to ask him about the sword.

"Hey Paarthurnax, I noticed the sword had dragon writing on it but I can't make it out"

Paarthurnax remembered then that she had learned the language but could only read it when it was written out in common and not in the way a dragon would write it.

"It reads 'Qahnaarin do faal lein', Vanquisher of the world"

Ellie was surprised that it read that but then again, depending on when the sword was created it may have been appropriate for Paarthurnax. She just scratched her head.

"You're going to have to teach me to read it the way that a dragon writes it"

Paarthurnax didn't say anything to that. It took her a while to learn to read and write Dragon in common writing and it would take at least twice as long for her to learn to read it in the way a dragon writes; if she didn't get frustrated and quit first.

"So I take our other Dragonborn is on his way here to see you?"

"I did tell him to come back to see me once he had an Elder Scroll and he now has one. You don't seem to like him."

Ellie sighed before rubbing her forehead with the back of her hand.

"I'm indifferent right now. I don't know how I should feel about him"

Paarthurnax didn't say anything. Humans were confusing enough but females, whether dragon or not, were even worse. He just shook his massive head and didn't bother to think on it anymore; doing so would only serve to drive him nuts.

"Wux geou banri ve lodeg" (You will drive me insane)

"I heard that"

Paarthurnax knew that he couldn't get away with saying things he wanted kept private in dragon in front of her anymore now that she could fluently speak it. He was starting to regret teaching her.

"I guess I need to pick and choose my words more carefully now. Sometimes I forget you can speak our language fluently. At least it's nice to speak my native tongue again"

Ellie wasn't at all mad at him because she knew how much it meant to him to have someone around that he could talk to especially in his native language. She groaned.

"I guess there's no way of knowing how long it will take for him to get here"

No sooner had she said that he came over the hill. He looked at the two of them.

"I see you have a Kel, Elder Scroll. It's time now to use it. Come here and read it, it will teach you the Shout needed to defeat Alduin"

It seemed to take a matter of minutes before he was rolling up the Scroll again and putting it away. He seemed more determined than ever to defeat Alduin.

"What do I do next?"

"All dragon names are made of three words of power. You need to call for Alduin and issue a challenge. He will come"

Both Paarthurnax and the other Dragonborn looked over the edge as he Shouted Alduin's name. It took a few minutes and then a roar could be heard in the distance as Alduin came sailing towards them. He dropped to the ground like a rock beside the group before trying to take the other Dragonborn's head off. And so started the fight.

When Alduin finally got tired he took off again and didn't tell anyone where he was going. Paarthurnax looked at the pair.

"He's most likely gong to Sovengarde. He liked to devour souls so that is where you'll find him. However, I do not know where the entrance is but there are other dragons who may know."

He nodded and Paarthurnax looked over as Amgeir came over the hill.

"If you are headed to Sovengarde then I suggest both of you go."

Ellie just looked at him.

"You mean to tell me you want me to go too?"

Amgeir nodded and Ellie groaned before pointing a finger at the other Dragonborn.

"If I die in there I'm coming back to haunt you"

He rolled his eyes and motioned for her to follow.

"We need to head to Whiterun."

Ellie was rather confused. They were going to Sovengarde so why did they need to go to Whiterun?

"Why are we headed there?"

"We're going to go catch us a dragon"

Ellie was horrified. Why the hell did they need to catch a dragon to get to Sovengarde? When they got there Ellie stood in the main hall while the other Dragonborn went looking for the Jarl. She noticed the dragon skull hanging on the wall. She got up and was about to pull it down when the two of them came back.

"What are you doing? Get down from there!"

Ellie didn't even spare them a look.

"What does it look like you pigs!"

The other Dragonborn came over and grabbed her by the back of the legs so she was sitting on his shoulder as he gently pulled her away.

"Put me down! I want that skull! You pigs took pleasure in capturing and holding that dragon in captivity!"

He put Ellie down and grabbed her shoulders.

"Don't do this to yourself. You won't win"

Ellie looked at the ground with a growl before pointing at the Jarl.

"If you attempt this and I find out you won't have a city lift to run because I'll make sure it burns to the ground"

No one said anything as she stormed off towards the balcony. Both men just looked at each other and shook their head before following behind her. She looked out at the now darkened sky as the two men talked for a minute before calling for the dragon. It wasn't long before they heard the dragon's roars as he came down to attack.

The battle didn't last long before the dragon was forced to land. Ellie moved towards the door as well as everyone else as the dragon followed them. When he was in place they snapped the trap into place; trapping the neck of the dragon near the ground so that it couldn't move. The dragon talked to the other Dragonborn for a few minutes as Ellie moved towards his nose. His head shot around as he watched her hand reach out and run across his nose.

The other Dragonborn seemed to disappear and after a minute a guard yelled to have the trap removed. When the trap was gone the dragon's head lifted and the other Dragonborn came back down to see them. After a quick conversation it was decided that they would ride the dragon to their destination and Ellie wasn't exactly happy about that but she gave in as they helped her on the dragon's back followed by the other Dragonborn.

They ended up on a mountainside in a middle of a snowstorm. The dragon looked between the two of them before taking off again as they started heading up the mountain. It wasn't until they were further up the mountain that Ellie realized they were in part of a temple; one that seemed to be rather huge.

"Lovely, we have Drauger"

Ellie watched as a large armored Drauger came towards them before shooting off a bunch of fireballs. He started burning and the smell of burnt and partially rotting flesh hit them hard. Ellie reeled from the smell as the other Dragonborn jumped into the fight. Ellie's stomach decided it didn't like her so she sat on a stone and let her stomach settle.

"How far do we have to go?"

"I'm not sure. Would you rather wait here until I clear out this place of Drauger?"

Ellie nodded and watched him take off in what he thought was the right direction. After about an hour he came back for her and she followed him towards a secluded part of the temple and ended up face to face with a dragon priest. He wasn't hard to kill at all and he brought the staff back to create the portal that would take them to Sovengarde. The two of them looked at each other before heading through.


	9. Chapter 8

The first thing Ellie saw was an aurora in the night sky. It looked like the sky from home but only that the colors from the aurora were off. Instead of the usual blues, greens and yellows it was red, orange, yellow and an off shade of pink.

"What's with this mist?"

Ellie looked down to find the path covered in a purple mist that seemed to eat everything it touched. She looked over at the other Dragonborn before producing a fire spell in one hand to give them some light.

"I guess we're going through it"

He shrugged and walked beside her down the path, the fire in her hand seemed to do nothing as the mist ate what little light it provided. It wasn't long until they ran into someone else who walked in circles. He stopped when he spotted them.

"You look lost friend"

As he looked at them Ellie noticed that he looked terrified as the sound of a dragon's roar was heard overhead.

"Alduin put this mist here so he could eat the souls that get lost in it."

Ellie looked up to see Alduin circle overhead as if he was searching for something or someone in particular. Namely her companion but she wasn't about to second guess the fact that he would make a dive for her if he had to.

They continued on through the mist and the guy followed them for a while before Alduin came down and snatched him. The man only made himself a target by making a lot of noise. If he had been quiet there may have been a chance for him to get passed unnoticed. Ellie just shook her head and continued on. After a while they reached a spot of land that wasn't covered by the mist but it was already occupied by a guy that was easily over seven feet tall. Ellie just looked at him as the other Dragonborn did all the talking. She was suddenly feeling very small.

After a minute of talking between the two men the other moved and let them through. On the other side of the dragon bone bridge was a hall and that's where Ellie assumed they needed to go. Ellie followed after the other Dragonborn into the hall and looked around at the mass of people that seemed to occupy it.

There were people eating, training and some standing around talking. It was odd to see them acting so normal for being dead. The other Dragonborn left her in search of someone and in about fifteen minutes he returned again with three other people following him. He motioned for her and the rest of them to follow him outside and Ellie waited on the patch of grass on the other side of the bridge while the rest of them moved on. It didn't take long for Alduin to notice them and start in on the attack.

Elli watched as Alduin circled the hill before diving towards the group. He only pulled up when he realized that if he didn't he would land on his head. He came around again and set off a blast of fire making Ellie want to jump into the fight to stop this.

Alduin eventually landed and started attacking from the ground. Ellie couldn't make out anything they say but could hear Alduin's roars and some shouting but couldn't make out any words. After a while Ellie could see fireballs coming from the sky.

Ellie could hear Alduin roar in anger and frustration and the sounds of clashing blades. After a while she heard one agonizing roar and the mist started to clear. When the mist cleared Ellie could see Alduin's body disintegrating.

Ellie watched as the last of Alduin's body turned into ash and flame before drifting into the sky. She wasn't sure how she should feel as she looked up at the aurora before looking down when the group approached her. The other's went back to the hall, leaving only the two Dragonborns standing there next to the giant, who was prepared to send them home after teaching the other Dragonborn a new shout, supposedly to summon a hero if needed to help ion battle.

Ellie only had to blink before they were back on top of the mountain with Paarthurnax looking at them but he wasn't alone. There were a dozen other dragons there with him, all sitting on rocks and speaking in dragon, to whom though she wasn't sure.

When they were done Paarthurnax put his nose down to the pair and Ellie's hand went up immediately to run over his scales.

"I'm hoping that I can convince the others to follow the way of the Voice"

"That means you're leaving doesn't it?"

Ellie just looked at him, feeling more than a little hurt. Paarthurnax didn't reply before lifting his head before taking off with the other dragons. Ellie watched for a while before heading back down the mountain. Now that this assignment was done she could get back to her studies while going over her thoughts. She already missed Paarthurnax and he hadn't even been gone an hour.

She didn't even have the ability to study with all the thoughts running around in her head. So she gave up and went to hunt something down to eat before going to sit by a window. Amgeir found her after a while and inquired as to what happened. Ellie relayed the information to him beyond that she didn't talk much. She was simply having issues with the fact that she wasn't going to see either of them again.

What made everything worse was that she thought she was getting through to Alduin after she had healed him. It was now sure to her that he had played her to get a reaction out of her and it worked, which made Ellie furious with herself.

Sadly her studies were starting to suffer as well.

"Why don't you go for a bit of a trip to get your mind off things?"

Ellie just looked at Amgeir.

"And go where exactly? I haven't heard from my sister in quite some time so I have no idea if she stayed in Iverstead or if she left"

Ellie sighed. She knew Amgeir was right and that she needed a change of scenery to get her back into the swing of things and hopefully change her mood but she doubted that would even help. It took Amgeir over a week before she finally gave in.

Iverstead was in shambles when she got there. Some of the houses were still partially burnt and she found herself standing in front of her childhood home, which was now burnt to a crisp and unrecognizable. She sighed and started looking around for her sister.

After a while it became evident that her sister didn't stay in Iverstead. She didn't know where she would have gone because as far as she knew there wasn't any other family to stay with. A guy perhaps? Or maybe she went in search of work. It really didn't matter. If she found her on the way to Whiterun then she would think about it then.

Ellie ended up spending roughly a week in Whiterun. She was standing on the balcony when she heard the roar of a dragon. It circled overhead before landing on the balcony with her. When it turned towards her she immediately recognized who it was.

"Odahviing, what are you doing here?"

He looked at her as if contemplating what to say.

"I should be asking you that. Right now it looks like you could use a friend"

Ellie looked down at her feet. He was right especially now that she had no idea where her younger sister was. When she finally worked up the courage to look up at him he was on two feet. He rested a hand on her shoulder.

"I know that I'm a dragon but if you need someone to talk to you can always call for me and I'll listen"

Ellie sighed.

"You obviously don't know then. I can learn Shouts just as easily as any other Dragonborn but I cannot use them, which means even if I wanted to I couldn't call for you"

He thought about that for a few minutes before producing something from behind his back. He pushed it into her hand.

"This may help you with that"

Ellie held it up. It was cold and hard in her hand and dimly reflected the light from the torches around them.

"It's one of my scales. It should have enough magic to boost your abilities so you can use Shouts. I would imagine it's rather frustrating to know you have that kind of power but can't use it."

He had no idea how much it bothered her.

"Thank you. I'm going to keep that in mind. I'm going to head back tomorrow."

Odahviing nodded and then looked out over the land. She looked at him for a few minutes while absentmindedly running her fingers over the scale in her possession.

In this form his hair was a reddish brown mixed with black. The wind picked it up and started blowing it everywhere as Ellie watched. He didn't even make an attempt to pull it out of his face. He must have noticed that she was watching him because he looked over his shoulder at her. He didn't say anything but smiled before going back to whatever it was he was looking at.

Ellie looked him over. He was easily taller than her with more muscle than she could ever hope to have. He looked back at her again.

"Why are you watching me like that?"

She shrugged and moved closer to where he was standing.

"I often wonder what it is that humans think about"

"I often wonder what it is that a dragon thinks about"

That made him laugh.

"Maybe you should get to bed. If you're heading back I would assume you're going to be up early"

That reminded her of something.

"Hey, I wonder what ever happened to the other Dragonborn. I haven't seen him since he killed Alduin"

'Oh, you mean Derek? Last I heard he was playing errand boy. Money is money I guess. When you're ready to leave tomorrow call for me and I'll give you a ride back."

Ellie nodded before heading back inside to go to bed. That was probably one of the oddest conversations she had ever had, with a dragon or otherwise, and she wasn't sure how to take it. Odahviing was certainly an odd one, that was for sure.


End file.
